This post was originally published on CosiBuono.com and was written by Marcella Milio.
“Schiaparelli & Prada: Impossible Conversations” Press conference at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. from left: Emily Rafferty – President of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Baz Luhrmann Anna Wintour Miuccia Prada Jeff Bezos – CEO and Founder of Amazon Cathy Beaudoin – Head of Amazon Thomas P. Campbell – Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
“Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations” tells the story of two women separated by decades but whose lives parallel in their Italian heritage and creative processes. Throughout the exhibition we hear from these women about their lives, what led them to fashion, what inspired their designs; and yet, while they speak about the same topics, they approach them very differently. Inspired by the satirical Vanity Fair feature from the 1930s entitled “Impossible Interview,” the exhibition begins at the dinner table, with Miuccia Prada speaking to the persona of Elsa Schiaparelli (played by actress Judy Davis).
Image Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
In a typically Italian scene, we see them sitting and talking over a glass of Prosecco; these women could be a grandmother and granddaughter telling a familiar story but through their own words, and with the eyes of their own time. As described by The Costume Institute’s Chief Curator, Harold Koda, at times they are not just talking with one another but at each other, highlighting the intimacy of their conjured relationship. It is a wonderful scene that sets the stage for a thought-provoking and uniquely Italian story of perseverance, ingenuity, and style.
Photo Credit: Marcella Milio
Wallis Simpson in Elsa Schiaparelli, Vogue, june 1, 1937, Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, photograph by Cecil Beaton
The first gallery entitled Waist Up/Waist Down lays the groundwork for the exhibit, showing a shared interest in ornamentation but the different manifestations of it according to the culture of the designers’ respective eras. Therefore, beautifully embroidered jackets from the 1930s are paired with skirts of all shapes and sizes from the past 20 years. In particular is Schiaparelli’s well-known scroll design evening jacket in black with white leather applique, which is paired in the exhibition with a skirt from Prada’s last spring collection similarly decorated with scrolls and a pineapple. The similarities in their decoration evoke the feeling of an eclectic wardrobe; but in the background we overhear each woman explain their inspiration.
For Schiaparelli, any design below the waist was redundant, as this was the time of Café Society. The most important elements of dress were those that could be seen when a woman was seated in restaurants; namely, jackets, which Schiaparelli was known for adorning with whimsical buttons, and hats. Prada, on the other hand, focused her designs from the waist down revealing an interest in the natural female body and the sentiments of the late 20th century culture in which she came of age.
Photo Credit: Marcella Milio
Also in this gallery are numerous pairings of Schiaparelli’s hats with Prada’s shoes. Following the same methodology as Waist Up/Waist Down, this area is more specifically Neck Up/Knees Down. Apart from the infamous “Shoe” hat from winter 1937-38, of note is a hat made up of green coated leaves, red silk velvet, and celluloid grapes from 1939. Paired with Prada’s purple silk velvet and green patent leather shoes from 2008, these accessories clearly display the designers’ inventiveness and playfulness. Never enthused by the luxurious life, however, Schiaparelli’s grape hat may have also meant to reference idyllic images of Italian peasant life.
Photo Credit: Marcella Milio
The exhibition continues to explore the similarities and differences in each woman’s work by focusing on three forms of chic: “Hard Chic,” “Ugly Chic,” and “Naif Chic” and three forms of the dressed body: “Exotic Body,” “Classical Body,” and “Surreal Body.” An abrupt juxtaposition from the whimsy of shoes and hats, the following gallery is stark and all black. Three day suits by Schiaparelli are paired with black nylon dresses from Prada’s fall/winter collection 1994-5. These designs emphasize the practicality of each woman’s work, as an image of Prada explains her hope that: “my clothes made [women’s] lives a little easier, that they made them feel happier. Not more beautiful necessarily, just more of a person. I try to make women feel more powerful without losing their femininity.” Both women describe striving for a “steady” look in their work. In Italian, steady is translated as “regolare,” which not only means steady, but regular or plain. The manifestation of this steadiness in each woman’s designs, however, is often very elegant in its simplicity.
Photo Credit: Marcella Milio
The exhibition moves quickly through a long gallery with objects lining each side. The themes are separated into the aforementioned groups with Prada and Schiaparelli’s designs shown side-by-side. A pairing of three dresses in particular, two by Prada for spring/summer 2009 and one by Schiaparelli in 1936, are so analogous they seem as though they could have been from the same collection. The highlight of the “Classical Body” area, these gowns emphasize once again that for these two women visual similarities are very superficial as their motivations vary deeply. In the background we hear them discussing the “goddess” look with Schiaparelli explaining the value of Grecian ideals and Prada stating explicitly her distaste for clichés of beauty. Also of note in this gallery is Schiaparelli’s “shocking pink” silk satin jacket woven with circus horses and made infamous by acrobat-shaped buttons for her 1938 circus collection.
Image Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Harold Koda, the exhibit’s curator, explained that the inspiration for the layout came from the idea of being framed in the camera’s lens but also in the display of their work. This is conveyed no better than in the final gallery where a series of glass cases enclose garments by Prada and images of Schiaparelli and her work. Behind certain designs eyes blink and lips glow red; the image of the Duchess of Windsor wearing the lobster dress sways in an imaginary breeze. Each of these images lends vitality to the otherwise staid garments they back and the missing ones they represent. In a final conversation we hear Schiaparelli and Prada discussing fashion and art. Arriving at their last dissention Schiaparelli asserts that “dress designing…is to me not a profession but an art;” yet, above the drone of visitors Prada’s voice rings clear: “To be honest, whether fashion is art or whether even art is art doesn’t really interest me. Maybe nothing is art. Who cares!”
Portrait of Miuccia Prada, 1999 courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guido Harari/contrasto/redux
Imagining a conversation between these two powerful women about their lives growing up, the personal pain that lead Schiaparelli into fashion and the fascination with it that lead Prada to follow in her footsteps is enthralling. These impeccable pairings truly tell the story of fashion across the decades of the 20th century displaying details that stand the test of time and are reinvented for modernity. Their stories and their designs, give insight to the times they lived in, each one asserting the importance of their beliefs. Yet, despite all her claims of individuality, Prada’s work cannot conceal the authority of Schiaparelli’s designs. As they share a glass of wine, they share their conversation, Italian heritage, and aesthetic: indeed as the old proverb says, “Da quattro cose l’uomo si fa capire: dal parlare, mangiare, bere e vestire.”
(“From four things does man make himself known: from talking, eating, drinking, and dressing.”)
Many of us know exactly how we like to organize the clothing in our closets. For some it may be by use, with fancy clothes tucked away in the corners and our work or everyday clothes front and center. For others it may be by category, all the shirts here, all the pants there. Yet these basic principles of closet organization may be causing you to fall into a style rut. This article will give you some tips on seeing the potential in all your clothes, organizing them for better visibility, and how to make what you already own work for you this spring.
Conducting a wardrobe assessment at the beginning of each season will save you considerable time and help you project the stylish appearance you desire. As the weather warms up and you begin to take out your spring and summer clothes, take a second look at some of those older items and try to think of them in new ways. Remember, there’s flexibility in fashion, the key is to appear well put-together and a properly organized closet will help you look and feel your best everyday.
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